Redpath Sugar Refinery
- Title:
- Redpath Sugar Refinery
- Former Name:
- Canada Sugar Refinery
- Address:
- 1720 rue du Canal
- Type of Building:
- refinery
- Architect:
- Ostell, John
- Date Construction Began:
- 1854
- Date Construction Completed:
- 1856
- Date(s) of Alteration:
- 1871, 1879, 1892, 1908-1912, 1925-1927
- Date Demolished:
- 1982
- Notes:
- Construction began on the refinery in 1854. In 1871, George Drummond, manager of the refinery, designed and built a new wing east of the existing buildings. After closing in 1876 due to a depression, the refinery reopened in 1879 and began expansion and modernisation of its facilities. A new refinery was built in 1892. The refinery complex was reconstructed and expanded from 1908 to 1912. In 1907, the upper brickwork floors of the original refinery building were demolished; the two lower floors, of solid stone masonry, were retained. From 1908 to 1909, the demolished floors were replaced by a new structure similar to the original but higher by one floor at its centre, and new machinery was installed. The machinery of the complex was overhauled from 1925 to 1927; the old boiler house was demolished in 1926 and replaced with a new one. The refinery closed in 1979 and in 1982 the site was subject to partial demolition. In 1999 controversy arose over proposals to convert refinery into condominiums.
- Sources:
-
“The Redpath Launch/Coup d’envoi pour la Redpath.” . The Canal Express/L’Express du canal, 1:3, 1998: 1,3
Visuals: interior photo.
Note: Information on restoration plans.
Archemi. Inventaire et évaluation des ressources culturelles Canal de Lachine. Montréal: Parcs Canada, 1995. : 481-6
Location: Centre de documentation. Parcs Canada- secteur de Lachine.
Visuals: exterior photos.
Cantin, Philippe. “1, avenue du Port.” . La Presse, 20 octobre 1999,: A5
Cardinal, François. “Des condos dans la raffinerie Redpath: Le promoteur aura les opposants dans les pattes.” . Le Devoir, 20 octobre 1999,: A6
Cardinal, François. “La Coalition urgence Redpath a perdu espoir.” . Le Devoir, 19 octobre 1999,: A10
Cardinal, François. “Des defauts dans la démocratie montréalaise.” . Le Devoir, 16 octobre 1999,: A8
Cardinal, François. “Des locaux dans la Redpath?” . Le Devoir, 7 octobre 1999,: A5
Cardinal, François. “Le fédéral dans l’usine Redpath.” . Le Devoir, 6 octobre 1999,: A12
Centre canadien d’architecture. An Industrial Landscape observed: the Lachine Canal, 14 July to 25 October 1992. Montréal: Canadian Centre for Architecture=Centre canadien d’architecture, 1992. .
Visuals: interior photos, exterior photos.
Desjardins, Pauline and François Bélanger. Etude pour planification d’un inventaire archéologique Complexe de la Redpath Sugar. Montréal: Ville de Montréal, Service de l’urbanisme; Archemi, 1998. .
Location: Centre de documentation. Parcs Canada- secteur de Lachine.
Note: A comprehensive study of the Redpath complex, includes many photos, historic maps, and an archaelogical survey.
Faucher et al. Canal de Lachine et ses abords: Étude de zone prioritaire sur la mise en valeur du patrimoine. Montréal: Ville de Montréal, Service de l’habitation et du developpement urbain, 1991. .
Visuals: exterior photo.
Feltoe, Richard. Redpath: The History of a Sugar House. Toronto: Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc., 1991. .
Visuals: exterior renderings, site plan, interior photo, aerial view, exterior photos, advertisements.
Feltoe, Richard. Let Redpath Sweeten It. Toronto: Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc., 1993. .
Gravel, Pierre. “Des questions sans réponse.” . La Presse, 13 juillet 1999,: B2
Gyulai, Linda. “Showdown at city hall: Foes of proposed Redpath Refinery condo project will get their say at council meeting next week.” . Montreal Gazette, 28 Sept. 1999,: A3
Gyulai, Linda. “Redpath condo-builders gets $3 million in grants.” . Montreal Gazette, 8 July 1999,: A8
Laguë, Jean., Willa Burgess, and Mark London. Proposal: Canal de Lachine, Ecluses St-Gabriel. Montréal: Héritage Montréal, 1985. : 17-19
Visuals: exterior photos, exterior renderings, aerial view.
Lambert, Phyllis. “Redpath architect left remarkable legacy: It would be wrong to allow his historic refinery to be made into residential condos.” . Montreal Gazette, 7 Aug. 1999: B5
Lambert, Phyllis. “La Redpath, l’architecture et l’histoire industrielles de Montréal.” . La Presse, 7 août 1999,: B7
Lambert, Phyllis. “Raffinerie de sucre Redpath: Un bâtiment qui se distingue par son histoire.” . Le Devoir, 15 juillet 1999,: A7
Lamothe, Josee, and Linda Cohen. “Redpath refinery’s future is up for grabs; Mixed use redevelopment could save historic complex.” . Montreal Gazette, 27 Nov. 1993: I5
Visuals: exterior elevation.
Lévesque, Kathleen. “Projet immobilier pour la Redpath.” . Le Devoir, 2 juillet 1999,: A3
Mainville, Michael. “Disputed Redpath project gets council OK.” . Montreal Gazette, 20 Oct. 1999,: A5
Mainville, Michael. “Condos get the go-ahead: Redpath zoning changed.” . Montreal Gazette, 13 Oct. 1999,: A5
Mainville, Michael. “Feds sweet on Redpath project: MP says they’re looking to rent space in sugar-refinery development.” . Montreal Gazette, 6 Oct. 1999,: F12
Ouimet, Michèle. “Plusiers bavures ont terni l’image de Montréal.” . La Presse, 27 décembre 1999,: A8
Roy, Jean-Hugues. “Tags, pièces, throwups.” . Voir, 6 avril 1995: 6
Ruddick, Susan and Luba Serge. Redpath Sugar building: Potential for Reuse as Housing. Montréal: Héritage Montréal; Société d’intervention de Pointe St-Charles, 1983. .
Sicotte, Anne-Marie and Rene Theriault. The Lachine Canal Historical Guide. Montréal: Association Les Mil Lieues, 1987. : 29
Theodore, David. “Sweet deal for Redpath?: Architecturally, a condo project in sugar-refinery complex makes sense.” . Montreal Gazette, 24 Jul. 1999: H1
Visuals: exterior rendering of proposed renovation, rendering from 1852.
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "Redpath Sugar Refinery", Industrial Architecture of Montreal, McGill Libraries
- Reference Link:
- https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/industrial/items/in051.html